Kevin Wildes, an avid Patriots fan, promised a New England victory Friday on FS1’s “First Things First.”
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“I’m willing to guarantee a Patriots victory,” Wildes said.
Drake Maye will go against a defense that dominated Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 30-6 win in the Wild Card Round. DeMeco Ryans’ ferocious unit did not deter Wildes, who still relies on New England’s third-string offense.
“I was a little nervous about the Texans defense,” Wildes said. “They’re a great defense, and I don’t want to just be a Patriots fan. And then I realized, aren’t we a great offense? Don’t we have potentially the MVP at quarterback? Shouldn’t they be the ones who worry about us?”
On the other hand, Wildes remains skeptical that the Texans can pull off a road upset after back-to-back exits in the AFC Divisional Round.
“Isn’t it going to be cold in New England? Aren’t we the favorites? The Houston Texans have never gotten out of this round,” Wildes said. “They beat up an overmatched quarterback … and then they move on to the next round, (Patrick) Mahomes and Lamar (Jackson), and then they lose. And that’s what’s probably going to happen in New England.”
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Nick Wright jokingly questioned his colleague’s use of “probably” after issuing an assurance, prompting Wildes to revise his bold statement.
“I apologize for a measured response,” Wildes responded. “I meant guaranteed.”
Wildes noted that this isn’t the first time the Patriots will face a top-notch defense. The Cleveland Browns allowed the fewest yards in the league before New England scored 422 during a 32-13 win in Week 8.
FS1 also showed a graph noting that Maye leads the NFL in passing yards per game (287.6) and yards per attempt (9.4) in five matchups against top-10 defenses this season, including New England’s first-round playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
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Wildes recalled feeling “terrified” of the Texans after their Week 12 victory over the Buffalo Bills, but he’s less scared after they ruled out star receiver Nico Collins with a concussion. Meanwhile, Patriots cornerback Christian González is cleared to play this Sunday.
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